Diamond > Cubic Zirconia > This EP Tequila, vegetables and…glitter? No, this isn’t one of those random-ass lists from Keenan & Kel, this is actually (or apparently, I should say) a winning formula for PRETTY LITTLE ENEMY. The self-proclaimed “Metal ABBA” (I wish I was joking when I typed that, I really do) formed in Somerset back in 2015 and are looking to steadily grow and gain momentum with their blend of riff-heavy pop-rock. Consisting of vocalist Louise Body, guitarist Georgia Bell, bassist Jason Coles and drummer Ben Dean, the four-piece (who have already shared stages with the likes of THE LOUNGE KITTENS and CRAZYTOWN) are looking to follow up last years “Bitch Please!” with their brand new EP “Second Load”, scheduled for release on September 15th…let’s take a second to check it out…
We open up with lead single “Get A Grip” and right away we’re met with some meaty, hard-rock riffs and generic crunchy guitars; there’s nothing overly complicated here, pretty straightforward to be honest but it’s got some weight, before Louise kicks in with her impassioned vocals…and it’s a rather annoyingly 50/50 offering. While there are glimmers of promise as she proves she can both hold and hit some pleasant notes, while most importantly showing emotion in her delivery, sometimes she comes across as just a tad rough and shouty…and sadly, the song descends into a poor case of repetition, becoming rather methodical and plodding as it drags along, struggling to retain real interest as lines are repeated. Second single “Collide” is substantially better it has to be said…continuing with a core hard-rock sound but with a lot more enjoyable melody; it flows a lot easier with a far more appealing rhythm…it’s got it’s pop elements with certain catchy hooks, key changes, layers of subtle acoustics and it works well, but…that breakdown? Really…that breakdown…it benefits nothing. It really does feel dragged out; an unnecessary pause, no diversity, it feels like mid-song filler and ultimately spoils the track…a track which really didn’t need an attempt at a heavy breakdown, we get enough of that in metalcore, don’t go jumping on the bandwagon guys and gals…
“Play By The Rules” utilises a start/stop approach for the most part, with the guitar work breaking intermittently for Louise’s vocals, which again, do hit some encouraging notes and she can carry a song well, there’s enough depth there, enough diversity through here to break the song up nicely, whether she’s releasing pent up frustration or hitting powerful notes, or even with her hushed segments, she’s the main focus however musically it’s really rather generic…and the, solo? Is it a solo? It’s one of two things…they forgot to cut it from the master tape or Georgia fucking panicked during recording because honestly, they can’t be happy with that? Listen to it…you tell me, before finally we finish on “It’s All Just A Show” and honestly they’ve saved the best until last. It’s got that extra swagger, that extra dash of attitude within the pop-hooks and melodic qualities; this here is the foot tapper you’ve been waiting for, there’s another breakdown but a little more lively than the previous one so, there’s improvement there, it has to be said. Ultimately PLE have a solid template and some steady foundations to go forward from here in the near future…they’ve got a capable vocalist in Louise and musically their aim is fine but right now they are just short of the mark, a little polishing is all they need and maybe tone down the riffs and the breakdowns…as daft as it sounds, you call yourselves the metal ABBA, I’m sorry I just want to hear more ABBA! Use that inspiration! One of the most iconic pop groups of all time, embrace that, don’t shy away from it, I’d pick a smooth melody with a great hook over a generic breakdown any day of the week…there’s promise here, but they’re not up there with THE DIRTY YOUTH and SKARLETT RIOT yet. [4]
We open up with lead single “Get A Grip” and right away we’re met with some meaty, hard-rock riffs and generic crunchy guitars; there’s nothing overly complicated here, pretty straightforward to be honest but it’s got some weight, before Louise kicks in with her impassioned vocals…and it’s a rather annoyingly 50/50 offering. While there are glimmers of promise as she proves she can both hold and hit some pleasant notes, while most importantly showing emotion in her delivery, sometimes she comes across as just a tad rough and shouty…and sadly, the song descends into a poor case of repetition, becoming rather methodical and plodding as it drags along, struggling to retain real interest as lines are repeated. Second single “Collide” is substantially better it has to be said…continuing with a core hard-rock sound but with a lot more enjoyable melody; it flows a lot easier with a far more appealing rhythm…it’s got it’s pop elements with certain catchy hooks, key changes, layers of subtle acoustics and it works well, but…that breakdown? Really…that breakdown…it benefits nothing. It really does feel dragged out; an unnecessary pause, no diversity, it feels like mid-song filler and ultimately spoils the track…a track which really didn’t need an attempt at a heavy breakdown, we get enough of that in metalcore, don’t go jumping on the bandwagon guys and gals…
“Play By The Rules” utilises a start/stop approach for the most part, with the guitar work breaking intermittently for Louise’s vocals, which again, do hit some encouraging notes and she can carry a song well, there’s enough depth there, enough diversity through here to break the song up nicely, whether she’s releasing pent up frustration or hitting powerful notes, or even with her hushed segments, she’s the main focus however musically it’s really rather generic…and the, solo? Is it a solo? It’s one of two things…they forgot to cut it from the master tape or Georgia fucking panicked during recording because honestly, they can’t be happy with that? Listen to it…you tell me, before finally we finish on “It’s All Just A Show” and honestly they’ve saved the best until last. It’s got that extra swagger, that extra dash of attitude within the pop-hooks and melodic qualities; this here is the foot tapper you’ve been waiting for, there’s another breakdown but a little more lively than the previous one so, there’s improvement there, it has to be said. Ultimately PLE have a solid template and some steady foundations to go forward from here in the near future…they’ve got a capable vocalist in Louise and musically their aim is fine but right now they are just short of the mark, a little polishing is all they need and maybe tone down the riffs and the breakdowns…as daft as it sounds, you call yourselves the metal ABBA, I’m sorry I just want to hear more ABBA! Use that inspiration! One of the most iconic pop groups of all time, embrace that, don’t shy away from it, I’d pick a smooth melody with a great hook over a generic breakdown any day of the week…there’s promise here, but they’re not up there with THE DIRTY YOUTH and SKARLETT RIOT yet. [4]
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